[Vella Gonzaga]

Shopkeepers​

Imagine walking into a local shop and being greeted by name. The shopkeeper already knows your preferences, and they’ll even keep a tab for you to pay on your next payday. That was the norm in Australia back in the day. Small family-owned businesses were the backbone of the community, and everybody knew each other. Trust was the foundation of the system, and it worked beautifully. Shopping was simpler then, but it had everything you needed - from fresh produce to household essentials. And if you couldn’t find what you were looking for, a rare trip to the city was in order. Today, we live in a world of self-service and plastic, and while it has its conveniences, it can never capture the charm of those happy shopkeepers and great shops. Who misses this kind of service?

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Credits: Facebook/Australia Remember When

 

[Januvia1952]

The ABC program, Back in Time to the Corner Shop is very informative.

 

[Jethrotull]

Shopkeepers​

Imagine walking into a local shop and being greeted by name. The shopkeeper already knows your preferences, and they’ll even keep a tab for you to pay on your next payday. That was the norm in Australia back in the day. Small family-owned businesses were the backbone of the community, and everybody knew each other. Trust was the foundation of the system, and it worked beautifully. Shopping was simpler then, but it had everything you needed - from fresh produce to household essentials. And if you couldn’t find what you were looking for, a rare trip to the city was in order. Today, we live in a world of self-service and plastic, and while it has its conveniences, it can never capture the charm of those happy shopkeepers and great shops. Who misses this kind of service?

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View attachment 17660

Credits: Facebook/Australia Remember When

My mum was a widow and had to survive on a widows pension.. we were extremely poor.. she would send me about a mile to a store exactly like the photo, to buy a bag of broken biscuits, they would fill a brown paper bag with broken biscuits cheap.. once I went in and he knew why I called in, he sadly said , sorry no broken ones today.. I must have looked so sad.. because he said wait I’ll have another look.. he had his back to me and I could hear biscuits breaking.. he turned and said, I found some.. I didn’t realise at the time, what a lovely person he was.. I was too young.. I have tears in my eyes now as I write this..

 

[mylittletibbies]

My mother was also raising me and my brother on her own, and we had one of these corner shops where all the locals shopped and, yes, booked up till next pay day.
She would open up for people going to work early, or people coming home after closing hours.
She would stay up all night on Saturdays baking, and the locals would buy scones, apple pies, lamingtons, cookies, etc. They would all place their orders by Thursday night No government depts in those days stopping you from doing this with all their health regulations, and guess what, nobody ever got sick and mum was inundated with orders.
There were no single mums pensions in those days either, or child maintenance collection agencies and my mum had to work very hard, we were so lucky to have such a wonderful mum.

 

[Carolyn T]

I remember going to the corner shop for half a loaf of bread and the shop keeper would give us kids a paper bag with bits of broken biscuits in it.

 

[MIZMAC]

The grocer came round once per week and took your order and delivered it that afternoon. True convenience and no extra cost.

 

[BarryOAM]

Shopkeepers​

Imagine walking into a local shop and being greeted by name. The shopkeeper already knows your preferences, and they’ll even keep a tab for you to pay on your next payday. That was the norm in Australia back in the day. Small family-owned businesses were the backbone of the community, and everybody knew each other. Trust was the foundation of the system, and it worked beautifully. Shopping was simpler then, but it had everything you needed - from fresh produce to household essentials. And if you couldn’t find what you were looking for, a rare trip to the city was in order. Today, we live in a world of self-service and plastic, and while it has its conveniences, it can never capture the charm of those happy shopkeepers and great shops. Who misses this kind of service?

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View attachment 17660

Credits: Facebook/Australia Remember When

We had a shop just like that in Hampton in the late Fourties and fifties, the shop keeper kept a tin of broken biscuits that you could buy for a penny or two. But if your mother was a regular customer he would slip in a broken chocolate covered biscuit for free.

 

[Jarred Santos]

My mum was a widow and had to survive on a widows pension.. we were extremely poor.. she would send me about a mile to a store exactly like the photo, to buy a bag of broken biscuits, they would fill a brown paper bag with broken biscuits cheap.. once I went in and he knew why I called in, he sadly said , sorry no broken ones today.. I must have looked so sad.. because he said wait I’ll have another look.. he had his back to me and I could hear biscuits breaking.. he turned and said, I found some.. I didn’t realise at the time, what a lovely person he was.. I was too young.. I have tears in my eyes now as I write this..

What a beautiful and moving story, @Jethrotull! People like the shopkeeper have hearts of gold

 

[Jethrotull]

What a beautiful and moving story, @Jethrotull! People like the shopkeeper have hearts of gold

Wish I could remember his name.. now in my 70’s.. can only recall the shop..

 

[maggiej]

I worked in the office of a store that had multiple departments in a country town. On occasion, I would go out and help pack orders in the grocery department. Farmers's wives would either ring or bring in their grocery list and do other shopping The assistants would make up their list and all was wrapped in Brown paper. NO PLASTIC in those days

 

[Mina vriesekolk]

I lived on a farm when growing up in The Netherlands . Grocery shopping was my job , about 1.5 km away , usually I went on the pushbike , but walked as well. It was a small shop and if there were 1 or 2 clients before me , it could take forever when it was my turn. Everything was freshly shaved like ham and cheese . Biscuits were in big square containers and people wanted usually an assortment of cookies . Everything had to be weighted properly and packed in brown bags. All the products were written in and when the page of the booklet was full , you had to pay.
The bread came from the baker shop and they delivered this nearly every weekday.
There was also a grocery shop in town and my parents kept him on as they did deliver during the 2nd World War , while the local shop stopped trading. He came one day , went through the list of groceries and delivered them the next day.
They knew everybody in the neighbourhood and told us if there anything had happened in the area .

 

[Jarred Santos]

Wish I could remember his name.. now in my 70’s.. can only recall the shop..

No worries, @Jethrotull. At least his kind actions still ring loud and true to this day!

 

[Jarred Santos]

I lived on a farm when growing up in The Netherlands . Grocery shopping was my job , about 1.5 km away , usually I went on the pushbike , but walked as well. It was a small shop and if there were 1 or 2 clients before me , it could take forever when it was my turn. Everything was freshly shaved like ham and cheese . Biscuits were in big square containers and people wanted usually an assortment of cookies . Everything had to be weighted properly and packed in brown bags. All the products were written in and when the page of the booklet was full , you had to pay.
The bread came from the baker shop and they delivered this nearly every weekday.
There was also a grocery shop in town and my parents kept him on as they did deliver during the 2nd World War , while the local shop stopped trading. He came one day , went through the list of groceries and delivered them the next day.
They knew everybody in the neighbourhood and told us if there anything had happened in the area .

Oh, the shopkeeper delivering the freshest goods... and gossip in town!